An exclusion in an insurance policy refers to a type of loss that the policy does not cover. It acts as an exception to the general statement of the policy coverage. For instance, some automobile liability policies may include exclusions that  coverage will not be granted if the injury is caused intentionally or by someone who uses the car without permission.

A limitation is an exception to the policy, but is only applicable in certain circumstances or for a certain time period. For instance, some health insurance policies contain a preexisting condition limitation, which means the coverage doesn’t apply to medical conditions treated or diagnosed with a certain time period before the beginning of the policy. After the coverage has been in effect for a certain time period, the limitation will no longer be applicable.

Since limitations and exclusions hinder some of the policy coverage, they must, under law, be written clearly and specific.